Front-end alignment
 

Since I got my seven 3 years ago, i've been struggling with a front end alignment problem. Its wearing out the insides of both my front tires. I originally had a bent tie rod. I replaced that, and it helped but it still wasn't driving right. I replaced the entire tie-rod assembly from a different car, and something is STILL not right. I've brought my car into be aligned, but they keep telling me something about 'bushings' being too loose? I already replaced all that. Thanks for any help.

They shouldn't have aligned it if there's anything loose under there...

Jack it up, both front wheels in the air. Put the key in the ignition so that the steering wheel can turn...

Go to the front wheels. Grab the tire at 12 and 6 o' clock... Jiggle it up and down. (Don't push and pull... Just kinda wiggle the wheel.

You should not feel any looseness... If you do, 90% of the time, it'll be front wheel bearings or ball joints.

Now, grab the tire at 3 and 9 o' clock... Jiggle the wheel side to side. Again, your goal is not to actually move the whole steering system. It's only to feel if the wheel moves seperately from the rest of the system. Just use the strength of your fingers. Bicep should not come into play...

Again. You should not feel any looseness. 90% of looseness in this direction would be tie rods.

Repeat for the other side tire.

If you have someone else jiggle the tire and you go under, you'll find the loose parts.

Thanks for the info.. All the bearings on both wheels are new, as are the tie rods. Could be ball-joints I suppose. I will check on that.

Actually, I forgot to mention, if the play can be felt in both the up/down wiggle AND the side-side wiggle, it's probably wheel bearings.

side-side only is tie rods

up/down only is ball joints... If it's not ball joints, it's control arm bushings... If you've gotta change the ball joint, it's a one piece with the control arm, so you might as well put bushings in with the new control arm anyway... Polyurethane while you're at it.